Newcastle United reportedly wanted to bring Krzysztof Piatek to the Premier League before Serie A powerhouses AC Milan paid Genoa £31m.
The more goals Krzysztof Piatek scored for Genoa, the less and less likely Newcastle United looked to bring the Poland international to St James’ Park.
According to the Northern Echo in November, The Magpies were plotting an ambitious bid for the prolific Serie A centre-forward, who scored goals for fun since arriving from Cracovia last summer.
And by the time the January transfer window opened, it became clear that Piatek was set for, with all due respect, bigger and better things than a Newcastle side stuck in a seemingly unrelenting cycling of mediocrity.
AC Milan got their man in the end, signing Piatek for a fee of £31 million, according to Sky Sports.
But, in comments that should intrigue Newcastle fans, Milan manager Genaro Gattuso has now likened his new number 19 to a player who flopped spectacularly during an infamous spell at St James’ Park.
“Piatek reminds me of (Jon Dahl) Tomasson. He had some very specific characteristics,” Gattuso told Football Italia.
“Jon never spared himself in training and gave us a huge hand, also when he played from the start. Piatek has just joined, but I like him already.”
Tomasson will forever go down as one of Newcastle’s biggest flops of the Premier League era, scoring just three goals in 22 games for The Magpies in the 1997/98 season.
Admittedly, the great Dane did a lot better in the red and black strips of Milan, however. And if Piatek develops into one of the world’s best at the San Siro, Newcastle fans will once again be questioning the club’s lack of transfer market ambition.
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